The Boston Celtics have a lot of new faces this season, forcing the team and Joe Mazzulla to focus more on bonding and developing chemistry than in years past. With less than two weeks to go until their season opener, they’ve come a long way.
One of those new faces is center Luka Garza, who signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract with the Celtics in July.
Heading into his fifth NBA season, Garza has already spent time with other organizations, including the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves. However, he says the Celtics stand out with their team culture and welcoming atmosphere.
Luka Garza on acclimating to the Celtics: “It really helps when you have a group of great guys — these guys are all really welcoming and nice people. Different places in the league, some guys aren’t as welcoming… But here it’s been really awesome.” pic.twitter.com/ZbmZ7Zx3u3— Noa Dalzell ð (@NoaDalzell) October 10, 2025
“I think it’s very intentional for Joe to make sure that we have those kinds of situations so we can bond,” Garza told Noa Dalzell of CLNS. “I think it really helps when you have a group of great guys — these guys are all really welcoming and nice people. Different places in the league, some guys aren’t as welcoming or won’t be as good at welcoming you into the culture and the team, but here it’s been awesome. All these guys are really cool.”
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Garza added that there have been a lot of team dinners and special team events off the court to help players integrate, fit in and get closer.
It’s encouraging that Boston is putting in the time to bond off the court as well as on the court. The Celtics have a chance to form a new identity this year with so many veterans leaving during the offseason, so it will be interesting to see what that is and how it shakes out.
Hopefully Boston’s friendly environment makes it easier for all of the new players to thrive and get along this season. If they do, that could help them exceed expectations on the court.
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